[ “Status” ]
Zero carefully looked at the improvement brought by consuming the Dragon Heart. He wanted to know whether it was worth the suffering.
….
ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom
In addition, his three stats, Strength, Speed, and Mana, have increased as well. Mana had even managed to advance two times, jumping straight from B – to B +.
And these benefits were immediately after consuming the Dragon Heart. There were still many benefits that he would gradually get as the effect of Dragon Heart got absorbed by his body.
However, the most unbelievable thing that he obtained from Dragon Heart was the skill Ancient Dragon’s Wrath which is of Rank SS+. Rank-SS + is one of the highest-ranked skills, only below Hiro’s skill called System as far as he knows from the story.
Rank SS+ Ancient Dragon’s Wrath! Zero can infer that it was an extremely powerful fire attack wielded by ancient dragons based on the description alone. It is extremely contradictory to the Art of his that is his Ice Magic.
His Cryomancy Art was Level 9 Art which is stronger than a Rank-SS+ skill. However, that was only when comparing perfected proficiency Level 9 Art with a Rank-SS+ skill. Skill does not require training and users can use its full power as long as the user fulfills its requirements for use.
That means Zero had just gained something that he could use to kill Rank-SS Heroes. However, that was only a possibility. He had enough power with Ancient Dragon’s Wrath skill but he had to first hit the Rank-SS to kill them. With their speed, it would be extremely easy for them to dodge his attacks.
More than that, the question was whether he could even use the skill in his current state. Ancient Dragon Wrath is the most powerful technique of Ancient Dragon and judging by how rarely they use it, it should be using quite a large amount of mana which Zero might not possess.
He decided to check this later when he is in a more safe place. Anyway, he has a really strong skill that could be his greatest trump card.
After his initial state of amazement, he looked at the surroundings confused.
“Did the monsters get scared by my scream?”
Zero wondered. He does not know for how long he was unconscious. However, it was weird that no monster had actually attacked him even though he was in a helpless state and had made such a big noise.
However, he did not know the truth and he had something else that he was worried about. When he went to fight with the Fire Dragon, he commanded Lilith to protect herself and stay away from that area. He was worried about her safety.
Zero ran as he wanted to check the condition of Lilith. He didn’t know for how long he was unconscious and whether Lilith was safe. While she was a Rank-A Devil, many Rank-A monsters roamed on this floor-25 that could kill her, particularly when she hadn’t recovered.
-WHOOSH!
He soon reached the area where he had told Lilith to stay.
“Lilith!”
Zero called. He could see her silhouette. He was glad that nothing had happened to her. He even thought that the time he was unconscious must have been short judging by how the monster had not reached him and how Lilith seemed to be in the same place as he ordered her to stay.
However, as he got closer, he realized that his assumption could not be further from the truth. Lilith’s whole body was covered in blood. Her clothes were not stained with her blood; it was the blood of countless monsters she had slain.
Hundreds of monster corpses could be seen surrounding Lilith. Judging by how dry the blood was, Zero could easily say that it had been more than a week. That means that he has been unconscious for more than a week.
And the reason why no monsters harmed him was because of Lilith who managed to hold them off. He realized that Lilith had been protecting him when he was unconscious.
He quickly checked for any possible injuries to her body. However, there was none to his relief. Even if Lilith receives damage though, as long as it is not that serious, she could heal those injuries as she was a devil.
“Sorry, Lilith! I will do my best to make it up to you. I swear that I will not put you in danger anymore.”
Zero said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
He felt a mixture of gratitude, relief, and guilt. He felt grateful that she protected him, relieved that she was safe and unharmed, but also guilty that she had to bear the burden of fighting for his safety. He thought that it was his turn to protect her and in the end, he still ended up getting help from her.
Lilith remained silent and unmoving, her body still and unresponsive to his apology. Zero knew that she couldn’t hear him, but he felt better for having said the words out loud.
Zero scratched his head, not knowing what to say more to such an unresponsive person. He thought that he should say those words again when she recovers. The fact that Lilith was even able to help him indicates that she might be recovering or at least that is what he would like to think.
His primary objective had been achieved but he still had to find something that could help Lilith recover her spirit and he hoped that the floor above would have something that might help her.
Before that, he took Lilith to a safe place to clean all the dirt off her body. He also had to dress her up in her new clothes as her old clothes were all torn and stained with blood.
He stayed on Floor-25 for a few more days. It was in his best interest to rest as he might not get this chance on the upper floor where he would meet stronger monsters. Secondly, he wanted to get used to his new strength before going up.
With his new power, he could kill Rank-A – without even relying on his Dual Art.
Moving through the floor had also been easy because of the new technique he had learned from leveling up his proficiency in Cryomancy Art.
He learned two skills after he had leveled up his proficiency in the Cryomancy Art. One of which is called Frostwing.
Frostwing is a high-level Cryomancy Art skill that allows the user to generate powerful wings made of ice. These wings are both beautiful and deadly, as they can be used for both offense and defense.
When activated, the Frostwing skill creates a pair of wings made entirely of ice that extend from the user’s back. These wings can be used to fly, granting the user incredible speed and maneuverability in the air. They can also be used to attack enemies, as the sharp ice edges can slice through even the toughest armor.
In addition to their offensive capabilities, Frostwing wings can also provide protection for the user. The wings are incredibly durable, able to withstand attacks from even the most powerful foes. They can also be used to create a barrier around the user, shielding them from harm.
However, the Frostwing skill requires a significant amount of mana to activate and maintain, and the wings themselves can be difficult to control, especially for those who are not good at controlling mana.
Using this skill, Zero was able to explore the floor more easily. Lilith could also fly so he didn’t have to worry about her either. However, flying was not very safe either as he would encounter many flying monsters, especially Wyverns.
His other skill was called Blizzard Storm.
Blizzard Storm is a powerful skill within Cryomancy Art that creates a massive snowstorm in the surrounding area. When activated, the skill unleashes a flurry of razor-sharp ice crystals that swirl around the user, cutting through anything in their path. The snowstorm is so intense that it creates a blinding blizzard that can disorient and confuse enemies.
The range and duration of the skill can vary depending on the user’s Mana. By consuming huge mana, it is possible to create a Snowstorm that covers a 1 km radius but could only last for 10 seconds. However, if the range and intensity are made smaller, Zero could maintain it for much longer.
Blizzard Storm can be an incredibly powerful tool in combat, allowing Zero to control the battlefield by creating a blizzard that slows down and damages enemies, or by providing cover for allies to move and attack from a safe distance. It is important to note, however, that the intense cold of the snowstorm can also be a double-edged sword, as it can affect both the user and their allies if they are not properly protected.
Zero still lacked practice in these two techniques and cannot combine them with his Shadow style. By itself, it is more than useful, especially the Frostwing, which adds speed as well as helps him move quickly from one area to another.
Zero can’t wait to use those skills on the monster residing on the upper floors.